Brand USA eyes over 1 million Indian visitors to US in 2015

NEW DELHI: Aiming to attract over a million visitors from India, the US is undertaking various promotional initiatives to position itself as a premier travel destination.

Brand USA, established by the Travel Promotion Act 2010 as a public-private partnership responsible for promoting US, plans to develop online, social and digital programmes to be followed by consumer advertising on electronic media in India.

"We are expecting one million and seventy thousand Indian visitors in USA during 2015. We are taking many initiatives for this," Brand USA Global Partnership Development Vice President Jay Gray told PTI.

During the current year Brand USA expects around 9,60,000 Indian travellers. In 2013, around 8,60,000 Indian visitors came to US, he added.

According to Brand USA, in 2013 India was ranked 11th among the top 20 tourist generating countries in the US, an increase of 18.6 over the previous year. Indian visitors also ranked 10th globally in terms of money spent in the US.

The average duration of Indian visitor was 20 nights in 2013, spending around USD 4,500 per person that amounted to a total of USD 5.6 billion in 2013, Gray said.

On being asked about the main reasons for which Indians visit USA, Gray said: "It is leisure, business and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions ( MICE)."

The main drivers for growth are the diversity and affordable luxury experience which US offers that makes it the greatest destination, he added.

"We are also promoting soft adventures, outdoors to the young Indians as India has a huge population which is under 35 years," Gray said.

The third annual India travel mission by Brand USA this year witnessed participation of 41 delegates representing 30 US companies including destinations attractions, hotels and receptive operators.